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A Woman Is a Woman

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A Woman Is a Woman
Theatrical release poster
FrenchUne femme est une femme
Directed byJean-Luc Godard
Written byJean-Luc Godard
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyRaoul Coutard
Edited by
Music byMichel Legrand
Production
companies
  • Euro International Films
  • Rome Paris Films
Distributed byUnidex
Release dates
  • 1 July 1961 (1961-07-01) (Berlin)
  • 6 September 1961 (1961-09-06) (France)
Running time
85 minutes
CountryFrance
LanguageFrench
Budget$160,000 (est.)
Box office549,931 admissions (France)[1]
$100,665 (US)[2]

A Woman Is a Woman (French: Une femme est une femme) is a 1961 French musical romantic comedy film written and directed by Jean-Luc Godard, starring Jean-Paul Belmondo, Anna Karina and Jean-Claude Brialy. It is a tribute to American musical comedy and associated with the French New Wave. It is Godard's third feature film (the release of his second, Le petit soldat, was delayed by censorship), and his first in color and Cinemascope.

Plot

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The film centers on the relationship of exotic dancer Angéla and her lover Émile. Angéla wants to have a child, but Émile is not ready. Émile's best friend Alfred also says he loves Angéla, and keeps up a gentle pursuit. Angéla and Émile bitterly argue about having a child; at one point they decide not to speak to each other, so continue their argument by pulling books from the shelf and pointing to the titles. Since Émile stubbornly refuses her request for a child, Angéla finally decides to accept Alfred's plea and sleeps with him. This proves that she will do what she must to have a child. She and Émile finally reconcile, so he has a chance to become the father. The two have sex, then engage in a bit of wordplay that gives the film its title: an exasperated Émile says "Angéla, tu es infâme" ("Angela, you are horrid"), and she retorts, "Non, je suis une femme" ("No, I am a woman").[3]

Cast

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Awards

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References

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  1. ^ Box office information for Jean Paul Belmondo films at Box Office Story
  2. ^ "A Woman is a Woman".
  3. ^ Brody, Richard (2008). Everything Is Cinema: The Working Life of Jean-Luc Godard. Macmillan. ISBN 9780805068863.
  4. ^ "Berlinale 1961: Prize Winners". berlinale.de. Archived from the original on 2016-03-22. Retrieved 2010-01-24.
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